Carlton Gauld

James Carlton Gauld (November 15, 1901 – March 2, 1975) was an American operatic bass born and raised in Bedford, Indiana, whose performing career spanned from the 1930s through the 1960s.

Gauld made his debut with the Metropolitan Opera during the 1931–1932 season, taking the role of the King of Egypt in Verdi's Aida. The following year he debuted at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, then crossed to Europe for his first appearance at the Opéra Comique in Paris as Nilakantha in Delibes's Lakmé. He remained with the Opéra Comique for three years, accumulating a wide range of roles that included Basilio in The Barber of Seville, the title role in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, the Prior in Massenet's Le jongleur de Notre-Dame, des Grieux in Manon, Lothario in Mignon, Ramon in Gounod's Mireille, the four villains in The Tales of Hoffmann, Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, and Scarpia in Tosca. During this period he also participated in the world premiere of Emmanuel Bondeville's L'École des maris in 1933.

Gauld returned to the United States in 1936 and rejoined the Metropolitan Opera in 1938, where his portrayal of Méphistophélès in Faust became his most celebrated work at that house. From 1938 through 1943 he worked as a freelance artist across the country. In 1944 he joined the New York City Opera as a principal singer in the company's inaugural season, performing in Faust, The Bartered Bride, La Bohème, and The Gypsy Baron — credits that also constitute his Broadway appearances from 1944 to 1945. He continued singing with the New York City Opera through 1957, with a notable contribution being the world premiere of David Tamkin's The Dybbuk in 1951, in which he played Sander. Among his other signature roles were Colline in La Bohème and Kecal in The Bartered Bride.

In the late 1950s Gauld transitioned into opera direction, a pursuit that occupied him through the 1960s.